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WIN! Disney, Nike, Lego, Google series by Lowey Bundy Sichol

March 28, 2022 by Samantha 3 Comments

Idea Makers shares the incredible stories of 15 women who changed the world through their entrepreneurship. Author Lowey Bundy Sichol presents five industries that women are leading in recent years: food, fashion and clothing, health and beauty, science and technology, and education.

Jenn Hyman brought couture fashion to everyday women with her idea to Rent the Runway. Morgan DeBaun supports Black journalists through Blavity. And Sandra Oh Lin is inspiring kids everywhere with KiwiCo activity boxes.

Readers learn about how the women featured risked their early careers, gave up their salaries, and sometimes even went against the approval of their families to follow their passions and start their own businesses. Today, these women are modern leaders worth billions of dollars and employing tens of thousands of individuals, including Kathleen King (Tate’s Cookies), Christina Tosi (Milk Bar), Payal Kadakia (ClassPass), Alli Webb (Drybar), Anne Wojcicki (23andMe), Sandra Oh Lin (KiwiCo), Reshma Saujani (Girls Who Code), and Jenn Hyman (Rent the Runway).

Young women today are embracing innovation and idea making, and the women profiled in Idea Makers will show them how that can change the world.

The From an Idea to… series by Lowey Bundy Sichol, MBA, is the world’s first entrepreneurship biographies for kids, introducing them to business and entrepreneurship and inspiring them to become entrepreneurs, business leaders, and problem solvers themselves through grit and passion.

Ever wonder how Nike became the athletics empire it is today? From an Idea to Nike digs into the marketing campaigns and strategy that turned this running-shoe company into the outfitter for many athletes as well as the iconic American brand. With infographics and engaging visuals throughout, this behind-the-scenes look into the historical and business side of Nike will be an invaluable resource for kids interested in what makes this business run. Find out where the name Nike came from and how the famous swoosh became the signature logo. Learn about the company’s first marketing campaign with a star athlete. (Hint: It wasn’t Michael Jordan!) Explore the ways Nike expanded marketing from running to basketball, soccer, golf, and beyond!

From an Idea to Lego is a behind-the-bricks look into the world’s famous toy company, with humorous black & white illustrations throughout.

Today, LEGO is one of the biggest toy companies in the world, but a long time ago, a Danish carpenter, Ole Kirk Christiansen, started with just an idea. Find out more about LEGO’s origins, those famous bricks, and their other inventive toys and movie ventures in this illustrated nonfiction book! Find out the origin the name “LEGO.” (Hint: it combines two Danish words.) See how LEGO grew from a carpentry shop to a multi-platform toy company. Discover how LEGO bricks are made and how they came up with their design.

From an Idea to Disney is a behind-the-movie-screen look into the history, business, and brand of the world’s largest entertainment empire. With humorous black & white illustrations throughout, learn about the company behind the world’s favorite mouse, Mickey!

Today, the Walt Disney Company is the biggest entertainment company in the world with theme parks, TV shows, movie studios, merchandise, the most recognizable cartoon character in the world, Mickey Mouse. But a long time ago, brothers Walt and Roy Disney started out with just an idea. Find out what Walt first intended to name his famous mouse. (Hint: It wasn’t Mickey!) Discover behind-the-scenes magic of how Walt Disney World is run. Explore the ways the Disney expanded its brand from a little mouse into media, merchandise, and more!

From an Idea to Google is a behind-the-computer-screen look into the history, business, and brand of the world’s largest search engine. With humorous black & white illustrations throughout, learn about the company that even earned its own catchphrase: Google it!

Today, Google is the number one internet search engine and the most visited website in the world. But a long time ago, two college friends, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, started out with just an idea. Find out where the name “Google” came from. (Hint: It involves a LOT of zeros!) Discover how Google became the fastest and most popular internet search engine of all time. Explore how Google transformed from a tiny startup (in someone’s garage!) into one of the most powerful companies in the world.

Lowey Bundy Sichol (her last name rhymes with pickle) is an award-winning children’s author with an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She is a leading expert in teaching business and entrepreneurship to kids. Lowey’s nonfiction series, From an Idea to… is the world’s first business and entrepreneurship book series for kids, and has received a 2020 Best STEM Book, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, and a 2020 ILA-CBC Children’s Choices Book, among others. She is also the founder of Kids Idea Tank, the nation’s biggest entrepreneurship competition for kids age 13 and younger. She lives near Chicago, Illinois. Visit her online at www.loweybundysichol.com.

Feel free to enter to win using the RC form below. Ends 4/14/2022

US/Can only

Winner will receive:

Idea Makers: 15 Fearless Female Entrepreneurs by Lowey Bundy Sichol (Chicago Review Press; 3/1/22; ISBN: 978-1641606745; Hardcover $16.99; 224 pages; Ages 12+)
all 4 titles in the From An Idea To… series (Clarion Books; Ages 10-12; Paperback $6.99; illustrated by C.S. Jennings)

From An Idea To Lego: The Building Bricks Behind the World’s Largest Toy Company (ISBN: 978-1328954947)
From An Idea To Nike: How Marketing Made Nike a Global Success (ISBN: 978-1328453631)
From An Idea To Google: How Innovation at Google Changed the World (ISBN: 978-1328954923)
From An Idea To Disney: How Imagination Built a World of Magic (ISBN: 978-1328453617)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: book review, giveaway, review Tagged With: books, giveaway, kids books

Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month With These Books

March 28, 2022 by Samantha Leave a Comment

These books from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing are perfect for celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Check out the following suggestions based on your child(ren)’s ages. Each month, try to expand your children’s horizons (and perhaps your own) with different authors, cultures, gender, religions- in short, points of view that might be different from your own. There is a lot to learn, and many different points of view to learn it from. S&S gives really great suggestions monthly based on your favorite topics or what age child you have- check out the website and see what is going on from month to month. You can subscribe to the newsletter as well to stay in the loop.

Books for young readers to celebrate AAPI Month

AMY WU AND THE WARM WELCOME

By Kat Zhang; Illustrated by Charlene Chua

5/3/22 | ISBN 9781534497351 | Ages 4-8

Amy Wu does her best to make her new classmate feel welcome in this warmhearted and playfully illustrated follow-up picture book to Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao and Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon.

LIZZY AND THE CLOUD

By Terry Fan and Eric Fan

5/3/22 | ISBN 9781534483170 | Ages 4-8

From the critically acclaimed, award-winning creators of Ocean Meets Sky and The Night Gardener comes a whimsical and sweet tale of a young girl who cares for her pet cloud as it grows.

MINDY KIM AND THE FAIRY-TALE WEDDING

By Lyla Lee; Illustrated by Dung Ho

4/5/22 | ISBN 9781534489004 | Ages 6-9

Fresh off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this adorable chapter book series following Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl—in this seventh novel, Mindy’s dad and Julie get married.

KATHA CHEST

By Radhiah Chowdhury; Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

3/1/22 | ISBN 9781665903905 | Ages 4-8

Reminiscent of Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s Mommy’s Khimar, this beautifully woven tale about the bonds of love, culture, and memory follows a young girl learning about her family history through her grandmother’s katha chest.

GERALDINE PU AND HER CAT, TOO

By Maggie P. Chang

1/18/22| ISBN 9781534484719 | Ages 6-8

Spunky, funny, and friendly Geraldine Pu gets ready for picture day in this second book in this Level 3 Ready-to-Read Graphics series!

Adventures for Middle Grade readers

ZACHARY YING AND THE DRAGON EMPEROR

By Xiran Jay Zhao

5/10/22 | ISBN 9781665900706 | Ages 8-12

Percy Jackson meets Tristan Strong in this hilarious, action-packed middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm.

LIA PARK AND THE MISSING JEWEL

By Jenna Yoon

5/3/22 | ISBN 9781534487932 | Ages 8-12

Perfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this thrilling middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit.

NEW FROM HERE

By Kelly Yang

3/1/22| ISBN 9781534488304 | Ages 8-12

From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes a poignant middle grade novel about courage, hope, and resilience as an Asian American boy fights to keep his family together and stand up to racism during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus.

AMINA’S SONG

By Hena Khan

3/9/21| ISBN 9781534459885 | Ages 8-12

In the companion novel to the beloved and award-winning Amina’s Voice, Amina once again uses her voice to bridge the places, people, and communities she loves—this time across continents.

Gripping Young Adult reads by and about Asian-Americans

MADE IN KOREA Paperback

By Rebecca Kim Wells

5/24/22 | ISBN 9781534474383 | Ages 12 and up

Frankly in Love meets Shark Tank in this feel-good romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads—and maybe fall in love—while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.

BRIGHT

By Jessica Jung

5/10/22| ISBN 9781534462540 | Ages 14 and up

The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Shine! Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl in this knockout series from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend, fashion icon, and founder of the international luxury brand, Blanc & Eclare.

SHINE Paperback

By Jessica Jung

5/10/22 | ISBN 9781534462526 | Ages 14 and up

Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl by way of Jenny Han in this knockout debut about a Korean American teen who is thrust into the competitive, technicolor world of K-pop, from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time, Girls’ Generation.

QUEEN OF THE TILES

By Hanna Alkaf

4/19/22 | ISBN 9781534494558 | Ages 12 and up

They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in the world of competitive Scrabble when a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend a year after the fact when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.

ALL THE RIGHT REASONS

By Bethany Mangle

2/15/22 | ISBN 9781534499034 | Ages 14 and up

The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who joins her mother on a reality dating show for single parents—only to fall for a contestant’s son.

PHO LOVE STORY Paperback

By Loan Le

date| ISBN 9781534441941| Ages 12 and up

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.

OUR VIOLENT ENDS

By Chloe Gong

11/16/21| ISBN 9781534457720 | Ages 14 and up

Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”

BRIAR GIRLS

By Rebecca Kim Wells

11/16/21 | ISBN 9781534488427 | Ages 14 and up

The Cruel Prince meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely in this epic reimagining of “The Sleeping Beauty” that follows a teen girl on a quest to wake a sleeping princess in an enchanted forest, while searching for the truth behind her own deadly curse.

RENT A BOYFRIEND Paperback

By Gloria Chao

11/09/21 | ISBN 9781534462465 | Ages 12 and up

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this “entertaining and nuanced” (Kirkus Reviews) romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.

STORM THE EARTH Paperback

By Rebecca Kim Wells

11/02/21| ISBN 9781534454484 | Ages 14 and up

Maren and her girlfriend Kaia set out to rescue Sev and free the dragons from the corrupt emperor in the explosive finale to the journey that began with Shatter the Sky.

Filed Under: book review, review Tagged With: books, culture, kids books, multi cultural, YA books

Love Dogs? You’ll LOVE Molly.

August 11, 2021 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Do you love dogs as much as we do? If you are anything like us, you love your 4 legged friend more than pretty much anything. As well, you hate misinformation being spread! So many lies about pitbulls, who are as gentle a dog as you can find. Good with adults, kids, cats, other dogs of all sizes- it’s not about the breed, it’s about how they are trained. If you abuse a dog and train it to bite, that’s what happens. Blame the trash humans, not the abused animal. But Pit Bulls actually have a much lower bite rate then many other dogs, like Chihuahuas or Jack Russel Terriers, as well as a more gentle demeanor. Just like your kindergarten teacher said- don’t judge a book by it’s cover. And don’t believe everything you read- the media did the same thing to the German Shepherds, to the Rottweilers, and on and on. Just can’t blame the actual problem- humans doing awful things. Give these beauties a 2nd chance- they are by and large lovers, not fighters.

Molly: A Love Story

by Dana Brackob is a true story about a cute little Pit Bull, lost and alone in the world until one day she was rescued and given a home. Molly’s story teaches children about the unconditional love that a dog can bring into the lives of a family. As a cancer survivor, Molly overcame adversity, and her story shows that despite every hardship, true love is everlasting. Children and dog lovers of all ages will be touched by Molly’s story and that of her adopted brother Logan, a Siberian Husky who became her best friend. See more here: histriabooks.com/product/molly-a-love-story

A portion of the sale of each copy of Molly will go to support animal shelters in the Las Vegas area.

Dana Brackob lives and works in Las Vegas. She was Molly’s real-life mom and wanted to share her story. Pit Bulls are often maligned, but Molly proved that they are one of the most loving types of dogs. The illustrator, Evgeniya Kozhevnikova, is a talented Russian artist living in Tomsk, Siberia.

Filed Under: animals, book review, review Tagged With: books, children's books, dogs, pets

GIVING GRIEF MEANING – A Book to help through vulnerable times

July 27, 2021 by Samantha 1 Comment

Most of us, I’d even wager to say all of us, will experiance grief at points of our lives. How we deal with it varies from person to person, but it’s not a topic that most of us are excited to tackle. After a sad event, the author (Lily Dulan) decided to write a book about grief and her experiences.

grief book

You can Find it on Amazon or Bookshop
ISBN 978-1642503135
Price: $18.95

GIVING GRIEF MEANING

Following the death of her daughter, Kara Meyer Dulan, from SIDs at the tender age of two months old, Dulan was compelled to give meaning to her daughter’s brief life and honor her name. As she moved through the grief process in a profound and transformative way, she gradually created The Name Work^®, a cross pollination of proven psychological modalities, 12-step wellness tools, and spiritual healing applications. By attaching a special meaning to names, and following breathing and meditative exercises, daily affirmations, and more, the method teaches us how to overcome our personal and professional challenges. It also addresses our shared grief at this most difficult and challenging time in history, brought on by Covid-19, racialism, a collapsing economy, and environmental disasters. For many of us, the upcoming holiday season will trigger feelings of stress, loneliness and grief, and the New Year will bring forth desires to make a lasting change. GIVING GRIEF MEANING explains how to work through challenges such as:

Coming to terms with ANGER, STRESS, FAMILY/MARITAL DISCORD, DEATH, LOSS
Reframing a relationship with ADDICTION, FOOD, SEXUALITY, BODY IMAGE
Rebuilding after CHANGE, SADNESS, DEPRESSION

Praise for GIVING GRIEF MEANING

“Lily Dulan has written a courageous book filled with depth and vulnerability. Through the devastating loss of her beloved daughter Kara, Lily was inspired to create the process of “The Name Work®.” I’m sure that it will prove to be an accessible and useful tool for many people to give meaning to their grief. This book is filled with real-world examples of love overcoming despair. Lily encourages the reader to feel their own truth and develop empowering thoughts in sync with that truth. For all who are grieving, this book fulfills its promise to bring readers a sense of renewal, love and ultimate peace of mind.”

—Judith Orloff, MD, Author of The Empaths Survival Guide

“Lily has written a heart-warming, courageous book about The Name Work®, offering pages of wisdom, guidance and hope to all who are grieving unbearable loss. From the heartbreak and despair of her little daughter’s death to discovering new meaning and purpose in life, Lily shares the lessons she learns on her healing journey to Giving Grief Meaning. Lily’s big heart of love shines through the pages of this book, embracing every reader who longs to find a hope-full path from devastating grief to a new commitment to life, love and compassion.”

—Trudy Goodman, Founder of InsightLA

“Lily’s book, Giving Grief Meaning, takes the reader on an intimate personal journey of Lily’s experience of what it is like to have a much loved and wanted baby in the NICU, and then for her sweet baby Kara to die of SIDS eight weeks after birth at home. Lily and her husband were shattered by unfathomable grief and trauma. Lily’s assumptive world was blown up and she shares her authentic, messy, and dark despair of grief. With the help of community and a strong spiritual practice was she able to transform her pain and suffering into helping herself and others. She chose to live and thrive through her love for Kara. Grief is LOVE. The Name Work® is a beautiful deck of cards with an initial on it. It is a heart centered “tool” or process to create affirmations, positive attributes and describe a loved one by using the letters of their name. Brilliant! I can not recommend this healing book enough to anyone suffering through the wide range and turbulent human emotions of grief, no matter the type of loss. This book will help validate and normalize the life-long ups and downs of the grieving process. Thank you Lily for your gift of this book and choosing life – you are helping so many by shining your light, grace and love with us all.”

—Dr. Ivy Margulies, Psy.D., PMH-C

“Insurmountable pain strikes deep and transforms lives; the effects last a lifetime. How we engage that pain truly determines our path forward. Through Giving Grief Meaning, the reader journeys with Lily Dulan as she blossoms into the unique, stunning, beautiful and giving person that she is today. To take pain and truly transform it toward enlightened joy and giving for others is a gift. We at Unatti Foundation are truly grateful for the wisdom that Lily has imparted to our girls in Nepal. The dedication of the Kara Love Project Community Room was a true testament to the care that Lily provides to rise the human spirit. Lily is now sharing all the possibilities to turn pain into growth with the world. Brava!”

—Stephanie Waisler-Rubin and Michelle Armoni, Unatti Foundation

Filed Under: book review, review Tagged With: book, mental health

Foster Meaningful Dinner Table Discussions with Kids and Young Adults

May 4, 2021 by Samantha 1 Comment

Author Kim Moog wrote ‘Food for Thought’ after seeing the impact open-ended exchanges with her children had on their character and confidence

When raising children, especially pre-teens and teenagers, parents can face tension when big topics are brought up and it can be challenging for them to navigate these tough conversations. Author Kim Moog, a parent herself, has recently published “Food for Thought: Raising Confident Kids One Conversation at a Time,” which is a guidebook filled with insightful questions for the dinner table to evoke critical thinking skills. These questions are posed to help develop independence within school-aged children by giving them a safe space to have their own judgment for various situations.

Struggling as a parent herself, Moog was inspired to start having regular family discussions with her children after playing an open-ended question game, Scruples, with her friends. Moog soon implemented regular discussion questions with her family at the dinner table and found that her children enjoyed these questions and even started to ask their own. Moog, with her own family, has proven how effective this communication tactic can be and hopes to help other parents raise children with good character and strong morals.

“Food for Thought” also contains discussion questions centered around faith, to help instill Christian values within children and encourage them to think about life with God in mind. This book can help parents raise children with integrity, courage and a Christ-centered mindset.

“In such uncertain cultural climates, my book can help parents, who desperately wish to raise children with strong character, discuss important issues impacting our world,” said Moog. “I hope to help them raise confident, faith-centered children.”

With the discussion questions presented in “Food for Thought,” parents are given the opportunity to both listen to their children’s perspectives and provide their own wisdom in a respectful manner, creating not only a dialogue between family members but also an optimal platform for parents to impart important family values.

“Food for Thought: Raising Confident Kids One Conversation at a Time”

By Kim Moog

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9646-9 (softcover); 978-1-9736-9647-6 (e-book)

Available at the WestBow Press Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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“Earth, My Dearest” #NewBook #EarthDayEveryDay

May 4, 2021 by Samantha Leave a Comment

“Earth, my dearest, I will. Oh believe me, you no longer need your springtimes to win me over.” —Rainer Maria Rilke

A new book, Earth, My Dearest, is an inspirational compilation of over 200 quotes around conservation and sustainability. Hopefully it will inspire people to treat the planet a little more respectfully, and further give inspiration to those who fight to keep the planet livable and healthy for all species.

Highlighting the wonders of our planet and ways on how best we can save it, Earth, My Dearest includes quotes ranging from poet Henry David Thoreau to activist Greta Thunberg. This quote collection will help show all of us how to cherish the environment and key ways to protect our fragile planet moving ahead to an uncertain future.

There is no time like the present to begin your environmentalism or kick it up a notch. We are on borrowed time, with species vanishing literally every day, and much more rainforest is destroyed then is left remaining. If we hope to have a planet, we better start working together and not just SAYING we care, but actually doing things that show that we care.

We need to show our children how much we love them and save their futures.

What have you done today to love your planet?

For inspiration, check the book out here or wherever you buy your books. Have a good day, love to all.

Filed Under: book review, review Tagged With: book, book review, books, earth day, environment

Life and Other Shortcomings, a book by Corie Adjmi

April 15, 2021 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Corie Adjmi, award-winning author and women’s empowerment activist, harnesses the power and relatability of storytelling to help empower women in all areas of life in her award-winning book, Life and Other Shortcomings. Recently featured and reviewed by the Jewish Book Council, Life and Other Shortcomings, is the perfect gift-solution for any literary-loving (or even not) person in your life.

This book illustrates the stories of 12 women, all on a different path in life, with one common overarching theme: the beauty, honesty and compelling nature of the female experience and what it means to be a woman. Through each character’s intimate journey, specific truths are revealed about what it means to be a woman—in a relationship with another person, in a particular culture and era—and how these conditions ultimately affect her relationship with herself. The stories as a whole depict patriarchy, showing what still might be, but certainly what was, for some women in this country.

I’m only part of the way through it, and I’m liking that it highlights different women’s experiences. We all go through different things- that’s what makes us who we are- but very few women get through life without society’s patriarchal mess digging it’s claws in. The stories, from somewhat subtle to more “in your face”, are really interesting to read, and I’m looking forward to finishing the book.

Filed Under: book review, review Tagged With: book, book review

How Our Government Really Works—What Every Teenager Should Know

April 14, 2021 by Samantha 1 Comment

After such a wild election season, kids and teens might find themselves more interested or curious in politics. And if so- good on them. Let them read all they can, and not just about one side of things. Forming well read and properly researched opinions will only make them better, smarter, and more empathetic people.

One book that has recently come out is a book that describes itself as “compelling, bipartisan insights about our country’s democracy. You Call This Democracy? How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People from author, speaker and public policy expert Elizabeth Rusch examines in simple terms our democracy’s missteps and how we can work together to create “a more perfect union.”

Some of the topics discussed are-

1. Why the race for president might distract us from the most important story of this election — ballot measures that affect our democracy

2. How COVID provides a surprising opportunity to finally do something about this country’s abysmal voter turnout

3. Important election topics people can discuss with family, friends and colleagues without starting a partisan brawl

4. What every American needs to know about how elections are run in their state

How Our Government Really Works—What Every Teenager Should Know

Whether you’re a student, parent, educator or engaged citizen seeking the truth, You Call This Democracy? How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People from public policy expert Elizabeth Rusch paves the way for every citizen to not only understand the flaws in our current democracy but to also fix them.

“We think we live in a democracy. One person, one vote. But how democratic is our government really?” Rusch asks. “The hard truth is that political power is not shared equally among all citizens. It shouldn’t matter if you are rich, poor, urban, rural, Democrat, Republican, old or young when you mark your ballot. Your race and gender shouldn’t matter either. But they all do.”

You Call This Democracy? gives an honest view of how our democracy truly functions, who really has the power and why (and how that power impacts politicians and policies) and how we can work together to make our democracy more responsive to the will of the people.

Consider the following:

1. Presidents can take office without winning the popular vote.

2. Voting districts are drawn by politicians for their own benefit.

3. Millions of citizens—young, old, poor, people of color, women—are blocked from voting.

4. Money wields much more influence than the wishes of ordinary Americans.

You Call This Democracy? offers insightful solutions to undemocratic elements plaguing our government, with inspirational examples of citizens already working to make change. International comparisons, extensive sources and resources prompt readers to dig deeper ― and take action.

Supplementary materials to the book include Rusch’s “50 State Democracy Report Card” (https://www.youcallthis.com/your-state), where people can check to see how democracy fares in their state overall and on specific metrics, and how they can strengthen democracy in their state; and a series of short, fun, informative videos on the issues covered in the book, called Flash Course on Democracy, available free at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOGZlteO6dRY7aQV1uqpddW1C1maGLxP.

Additionally, discussion guides and debate questions are available at www.youcallthis.com.

Elizabeth Rusch is the author of 20 award-winning books, and more than 100 magazine and newspaper articles. She is also the creator of the “50 State Democracy Report Card” and the video series Flash Course on Democracy. You Call This Democracy?, an Amazon Bestseller, was featured in the New York Times Book Review and received a starred review from Kirkus, which called it “a riveting must-read.” Rusch and her work have also been featured in The Discovery Channel, Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Think Out Loud, The Wall Street Journal, Teacher magazine, Parenting Magazine and Working Mother, among many others. Rusch has a master’s in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and has served as a Jacob K. Javits Fellow in the U.S. Senate. Visit her at www.elizabethrusch.com, www.youcallthis.com and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOGZlteO6dRY7aQV1uqpddW1C1maGLxP.